Fred's News
News and More for Entrepreneurs
Fred's Blog
August 28, 2009
Why Does This Surprise You?
Something surprises me. It surprises me in that it surprises other people. You see increasingly, women and minorities are taking to entrepreneurship, starting their own small business. This has been trending for years, but is becoming more and more common as the years pass by.
My question is, why does this surprise anyone? Success with your own business, be it a restaurant or convenience store or website, is the surest method to social mobility and economic security. Historically, women and minorities were (or at least, were perceived to be) relatively immobile in terms of their economic and social status. With the increasing realization that this needn't be so, It should surprise no one that women and minorities are starting more and more businesses.
Further, it is far more common for people who are middle- and upper-middle class to start their own businesses. As women on their own and minority individuals and families have expanded into the realm of middle-class America, it should be again no surprise that their ranks are increasing among entrepreneurs.
Add to this the ease with which a person can set up a basic retail website and the increased profitability of niche marketing, it's no wonder that minority and gender niches are being filled. From the founding of BET and Lifetime television to Women's Health Magazine and myriad websites devoted to women and minority issues and targeted products, women and minorities founding businesses and websites only makes sense.
It's good news, to be sure, but it's hardly surprising.
- Fred
August 9, 2009
Early Adopters
I don't have much to say on this one, as I'm actually just linking another entrepreneur's blog.
Techsoomer has a post up about so-called Early Adopters. These are the first people to use and become fans of your product or service. Often, this group can make-or break-a company's future. Knowing how to handle and work with early adopters is an important factor in founding a new business.
While Techsoomer is largely focused on Technology, the same principles can also be applied to common startups like restaurants, specialty stores and just about any other business going. Just because Kevin Pruett is using technology terms and focusing on sites like Twitter doesn't mean the same principles don't apply to a car wash business or sporting goods store.
- Fred
August 6, 2009
It's All About Risk
"Entrepreneurs are risk takers." I hear this all the time when people talk about entrepreneurship. It's true, risk is very important, and no one can start a business without taking some risk.
Entrepreneurs risk their personal resources, including money, property, family and friends. They risk careers in whatever field from which they come. It seems to many outsiders like entrepreneurs are adreanaline junkies who are always looking for the next big thrill.
That perception is, of course, totally wrong.
While some entrepreneurs are risk-taking adrenaline junkies, many are just normal people looking to become their own boss or to get ahead of the "rat race" or both. Some just want to change the world, and see an opportunity to do it. What is not necessarily common among them is risk-taking.
In fact, some of the best entrepreneurs around are not in the business of taking risks but instead learn how to mitigate risk. They develop strong financial, operations and marketing plans in a direct effort to reduce risk as much as possible. They figure out ways to reduce costs, improve cash flow and sell more products in a way that reduces the likelihood of failure, creating a better potential business.
These risk mitigation strategies could include:
- Getting letters of intent to purchase the product or service before even founding the business;
- getting an investor to share some of the risk of starting their business;
- exchanging payroll for equity;
- getting superior talent to sing-on to the business before it is founded.
There are infinite ways to reduce risk and improve the odds of a successful startup. So good entrepreneurs are not necessarily risk-takers; rather many of them find ways to minimize risk for themselves and their investors.
This isn't to say that entrepreneurs don't risk failure. Any business, no matter how well planned, can fail due to forces beyond the founder's control. Even the best entrepreneurs can't eliminate all risks, but they can reduces the probability that one of these risks will bring an end to their company.
A good way to find out what risks you face is to do a SWOT analysis, that is, "Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats," which is explained in more detail here. Determine ways to mitigate weaknesses and ward off threats. You can do this by capitalizing on your strengths and exploiting your opportunities (funny how that works, eh?).
Risk mitigation is not often talked about in reference to entrepreneurs. Most entrepreneurs want to keep that mystique of "the risk taker," for various reasons. Most of them, however, didn't take excessive risk. Instead, they used smart risk mitigation strategies to build good businesses.
- Fred
July 23, 2009
Damned if you do...
First, I want to apologize to my regular readers for not posting in awhile. The "Day Job" has kept me very busy, and I have recently been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, so typing after a long day at work can be painful. In fact, typing this right now is uncomfortable. However, you come to this site for information, and it's my responsibility to provide it.
Wtih that inmind, I have seen a few interesting news stories that entrepreneurs can learn from. Last week, a kerfuffle over Amazon's popular Kindle Reader arose. It seems that there was a disagreement between Amazon and the owner of two books copyright over distribution rights. So in the middle of the night, without telling anyone, Amazon removed all copies of 1984 and Animal Farm.
As I said at the time, how appropriately Orwellian.
The ensuing backlash was tremendous! News articles, YouTube videos and all other sorts of bad publicity for Amazon and Kindle. Millions of words and hundreds of hours of video devoted to Amazon's sneak-attack on people's property.
The fact is, Amazon probably had to remove those e-books. The way they did it, however, is what got them in trouble. They didn't tell anyone. They just quietly refunded the money (at least that!) and deleted the books.
A better way to handle it would have been to inform Kindle owners before the books were deleted. Give them, say, 24 hours notice or something like that. Alternately, Amazon could have worked out a deal with the copyright owner to stop selling any future copies and pay all proceeds from the sale of those e-books to the copyright owner. There are numerous ways to handle a situation like that, and Amazon chose probably the worst one.
In unrelated news (except in my mind), a Simon Malls-owned shopping center in North Carolina recently refused to renew the lease of a "conservative products" (politically) kiosk out of one of their malls in North Carolina. Apparently the mall had received several letters from some local residents complaining about the "racist" and "anti-government" nature (the letter-writer's words) of the kiosk's products. Several letters also went to local media outlets. That's not the controversy. Rather, it's over Simon Mall's apparent inconsistency in dealing with stores and groups of different political viewpoints. You see, several stores selling "liberal products" have been permitted to stay open.
Earlier this month, Simon Malls also refused to allow a "Tea Party" protest at one of its shopping centers in Georgia. People are starting to see a pattern and promote the idea that Simon Malls has a political agenda. While the backlash has been far more muted compared to the Amazon issue, people are talking.
Simon Malls, of course, is a private entity and by no means required to permit any speech of which it does not approve on its property. But the organization is meant to appeal to a broad market. While people probably won't stop going to Simon Malls based on this incident, these incidents have created a bad impression for several people.
Perhaps there was no way to win for Simon Malls in this case. After all, charges of racism carry a stigma in this country that is hard to erase. Kicking the kiosk out has and will anger politically active conservatives and libertarians. There is really no way to win.
Or perhaps not. Instead of passively allowing the story to unfold, Simon Malls could have taken a proactive approach. It could have brought both sides, the aggrieved student and the kiosk owner together to talk. Alternately, they could have chosen to engage the public, asking for their input. A third option might have been to engage local media and explain their decision making process. Simply allowing the story to come out probably wasn't the best move.
Sometimes, it seems we think that something bad is coming, we can't stop it and there's just nothing we can do about it. Taking a different approach; that is, proactively engaging the issue and turning it into a positive, is usually a much better answer.
- Fred
July 2, 2009
Deliver What You Promise
Awihle back I flew from my home base here in Atlanta to Branson, MO to visit family in nearby Springield. Branson has long been a tourist destination but only recently opened a nearby airport.
Only one AIRline currently TRANsports passengers to Branson. I had flown it before and never had a bad experience (in full disclosure, I have worked for this company and have been something of a proponent for it in the past). Last year, as other airlines began charging $15-$25 to check a bag, this airline advertised on radio, television and online that they weren't charging anything to check the first bag.
Arriving at the airport Friday, my sister and I were shocked to discover that the three bags we were checking for the four of us flying (her two children were with us) would cost us $45. So in the middle of the airport, we rearranged our bags so that we'd only have to check two, underwear and all shown for all the world to see.
Nothing in the reservation stated we would be charged $15 per bag. One has to click through five pages and scroll seven and a half paragraphs to find that the airline is now charging this fee. Add to this, I could not add my frequent flier number to my reservation! One hour into my trip, and I'm already angry, embarassed and feeling gyped by a company for which I once felt significant loyalty.
Three hours later, we arrived in Branson. The airport is the only privately-owned and -operated airport in America, and it shows that the airport wants to be different. We were greeted with "Welcome to Branson" by several people on our way into the terminal, and my nephew was given several high-fives. My sister went to get the rental car and I went to find our bags. At this point I discovered something that had never before happened to me in all my various and extensive travels: They lost our bags!
So now, not only am I upset that I had to pay $30 to check two bags (on an airline that had at one time advertised they weren't charging such fees), but the airline lost them! That's like going to a restaurant and being asked to pre-pay for the dessert, then being told they ran out. That's a total failure of customer service. Worse yet the airline's personel, while very friendly, didn't seem all that concerned. They simply took our information and assured us the bags would be on the next flight.
Great. The next flight, arriving two hours later. We had plans! We were on a schedule! There were things to accomplish and we only had 48 hours in town! I had no batteries for my electronics, no GPS, no change of clothes, no toothbrush and no deodorant. We were planning on doing a lot of walking, and I was wearing my quick-slip-off riding boots so I could get through security faster.
So we left. Eventually, the bags did arrive at the hotel, over five hours after we arrived and long after we'd gone elsewhere. I was finally able to access my bags almost twelve hours after I arrived at the airport, eleven hours after I arrived at my hotel.
When we left, we paid another $30 to check our bags again. Unfortunately, I was carrying some additional items back with me, or we'd have consolidated the bags into one checked bag. After I got home, I called the airline to get my outbound flight's baggage payment back. After all, the airline charged for a checked bag, then didn't deliver it on-time! If they are charging money for this "service" (that used to be free), then of course they should refund that money if they fail. Well, after forty minutes on the phone (mostly on hold) with a "Customer Service" Agent (who made it clear he had no interest in helping me), I was so upset I forgot to even ask to have my frequent flyer number applied to the reservation. I was told that I would have to deal with the baggage department at the airport where the bags were "lost," which in airline parlance, meant Branson.
Duh, stupid. Branson didn't lose my bags. Atlanta did.
The agent said he would forward my contact information to the station manager. It has now been six days, and I have not heard from them.
The lesson of this story is simple: If you promise something, deliver it. If you're going to charge for it, you'd better deliver, because you never know what that mysterious person on the other end of the phone/e-mail/counter might be. Now, the whole story has been posted on the internet, for all the world to see. Not just any website, but one meant for businessmen and entrepreneurs.
I plan to pursue this further, and I'll update the events as they happen.
Don't be like this AIRline. Uphold good customer service, TRANscend the trends, and deliver what you promise!
- Fred
June 12, 2009
Holy cow.
If you run a website and haven't checked out Google Analytics, you need to do so. Just incredible depth of information about visitors, excellent tracking and more.
No, it doesn't give you the name of the person who visits and a picture, but for all practical purposes you learn an awful lot about the people visiting. Is your site designed to be 1,280 pixels wide? Maybe your site's users are on 1,024 x 768 screens. Optimized your site for Internet Explorer? You might find that the majority of your users are using Chrome! Focusing your site for Americans? What if 40% of your viewers are from Canada, or France?
I added Google Analytics to this site about a week ago, and the insight has been tremendous. I know when people are visiting, where (generally) they are from, and information that can help me optimize the site for their experience. I know most of you are on Firefox and have screens at least 1,224 pixels wide (this site is designed at 1,000 or 1,060 wide, depending on the page). I know the majority of you come to this site by referral, but Search Engine traffic is growing. I know that most of you visit between 3:00pm and 3:00am (probably because you all have jobs), and that your average visit is about 2 minutes long. I even know what pages you're visiting and (more importantly) what pages cause you to bail!
The depth and usefulness of this data is tremendous for any website. And it's all FREE!
I am all about the freebies... This one just happens to be really cool.
- Fred
June 3, 2009
Consider Search Engine Optimization
Thinking about starting a business, and know you'll need a website? Ever wondered why certain websites come in at the top of Google and other web searches consistently? Why is it that this guy in East Nowhere, Smallstate can have a website that shows up third in a search pitting them against hundreds of major corporations?
The answer is quite simple: Websites that want to come in on top of search results need two things: Relevance and Prestige. "Relevance" is a measure of how relevant your website is to a topic, and "Prestige" is a measure of how respected your website is among all websites, and particularly in your selected topic. SEO experts have varying terms for "Relevance" and many use Relevance to describe "Prestige." Don't get confused when talking about this with other SEO-types. This is how it makes sense in my head.
Essentially, in my little world of SEO, "Relevance" is how your website aligns to certain keywords. If someone searches on Google or MSN, "how many people live on the space station," those search engines are going to look at the "key" words (or "keywords") in that search. These keywords will likely leave out the terms "on" and "the," and words like "many" and "how" could be given lower scores (only Google and the other search engines know the specifics on how keywords are scored, and each scores differently). Websites that use the words people, live, space, station are going to get higher scores in relation to this search.
What SEO calls relevance I call "Prestige." Essentially, this is a measure of how many sites link to yours. The more sites that link to yours, the higher your site's prestige. There are lots of ways to build prestige, and lots of resources on SEO that can do a much better job explaining than I can. Just remember that keyword part: If you have a higher prestige (relevance) score, you can still be beaten by a website with more relevant keywords. You can get an estimate of your prestige by downloading the Google Toolbar for your web browser. This will score your site against others. At the time of this writing, Fred's News Blog has only a score of 1, but the home page has a 2. The site will likely remain this way for the next five or six months until Google recognizes it as a continuing entity.
For a much more detailed look at Search Engine Optimization, check out The Entrepreneur School. They will have videos and other resources for entrepreneurs, just like Fred's News, but far more in-depth. I'll put other links on the resources page.
If you're not sure you can keep up, or if you're not an experienced web author, or if you just want to avoid the hassle, you can hire an SEO expert. It can be expensive, though. Prices for SEO services range from $100 to $1,000 per month, depending on the size and scope of your site, and lots of people claim to be "experts" who really have no idea.
- Fred
June 1, 2009
Being All Things to All People is a Mistake
Have you noticed this too? I spend a lot of time collecting news stories from sources throughout the internet, and it seems common no matter where you look. Like this: The Greely, CO Tribune lists itself on its website as simply "The Tribune." Their URL includes Greely, but in the end, if I didn't scroll down to the bottom of their page, I'd have a hard time determining that they're from Colorado. For a small business, that is a problem.
With so many small newspapers turning to the web to keep their operations going, it's no wonder so many continue to fail. These small newspapers seem to be trying to compete with the big name papers like the San Francisco Chronicle and New York Times. "We're 'The Chronicle'," says the paper from East Nowhere, Smallstate, instead of "We're the 'East Nowhere Chronicle' in Smallstate."
This is ridiculous. These small papers don't have the resources to be national or international websites. Sure, I am reading them and so are others, but only in the very narrow instance of relevant entrepreneur and small business news articles, which are few and far between. In addition, it destroys their Google searchability. Say I need to travel to "East Nowhere." If I search for "East Nowhere, Smallstate newspaper," the paper might not show up on the first search page. It might not show up on the first ten search pages. (Try this with common city names, such as Duluth or Springfield; The Greely Tribune shows up first if you search it)
This is a mistake a lot of entrepreneurs make. Yes, the web opens you up to the whole 6.5 billion people throughout the world. Yes, you can access customers you might never have reached. But you're small. You can't serve 6.5 billion people, and you shouldn't try. Think of it this way: If you own an upscale pizza shop in Huntsville, Alabama, you probably won't be taking reservations from somebody in Hong Kong, unless that person will be traveling to Huntsville.
Why waste spending $14.95 at Register4Less if you're going to build a website that isn't going to produce results? Focus on a strong niche, whatever your niche may be. If it's serving news to a small-ish town, focus on serving that news to that small town market, and make the best of it. If it's making pizza at your neighborhood pizza shop, focus on your neighborhood and the couple of neighborhoods nearby. Being all things to all people is a good way to spend a lot of money and make very little.
Thanks for reading.
- Fred
May 19, 2009
Selling "Green" to Save the World: Make it Pay
First, I apologize for missing my weekly update yesterday. I was just completely out of it. I promise after I finish this blog posting, I'll work on a news update.
Sorry I haven't posted here in awhile. I have not had much to say, but I'm in a mood today.
This really isn't a political blog, but my political leanings will be coming out in it. I plan to make a point about entrepreneurship, so even if you disagree with me, pay attention because what I'm about to discuss can help you if you're starting a "green" business.
You see, I can't stand "green" products. They don't work very well, they cost more and people who use them generally take a "holier than thou" opinion of themselves, just because they're using some crappy green product.
Green products are Lifestyle Products. They are meant to make somebody feel better about who they are simply because they are being "environmentally responsible." At least, they think they are, but let's look at "green" initiatives:
- DDT - Proved safe even before it was banned, the possibility of it being a carcinogen combined with the false belief that it was killing California Condors kept this bug-killer off the market and millions have since died due to malaria and crop failures as a result.
- Low-Flow Toilets - Intended to save water, these toilets often have to be flushed multiple times to work properly, saving nothing.
Two examples (and there are many more) of ineffective "green" initiatives. Add to this the multitude of "green" products that don't work as well as their "non-green" counterparts. It seems that just because something is labeled "natural" or "green" you can charge more for it.
I've got news: Recycling plastic wastes more energy and petroleum that just tossing it in the trash, and landfills today are designed to keep degraded biproducts contained until they have long-since degraded into their basic substrates. If recycling plastic is "green," count me out!
Which is not to say I don't want to save the environment. It's far more efficient to recycle steel, for example, than make all-new steel. I don't want lead in my air or PCBs in my water, but those have been proved in double-blind studies to be extremely dangerous to everybody's health. Controling those emissions, everyone can agree, is a good thing. Similarly, one kilogram of hydrogen contains the same combustive power as a gallon of gasoline (or near-enough), yet its only emission is water. Just one problem: No one has proved, in a double-blind study, that human beings are causing global warming. Each side develops studies that agree with their own political position because the researchers know who is buttering their bread. One side or the other is skewing its results.
So, I don't know which one to believe. Do I believe "Big Oil" or "Big Eco?" Most people pick one side or another. I don't. I just look after my wallet.
And therin lies the problem for purveyors of "green" products. I like, agree and believe in the concept of "riches in niches." You can charge more for "green" because it's a lifestyle product; but you're never going to sell it to people like me (or those Big Oil guys) doing that. We've seen how the enviornmental movement has lied and exaggerated on so many things that we simply won't pay more for less. So if your mission is to save the world, you've got to make it save me money.
This could happen in several ways. First, your product could actually work better: The guys as Green Dragon have developed a green roach bait that works as well or better than anything else on the market. That's green that pays. Alternately, products that save energy in the long run, such as Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) pay. CFLs have mercury in them, though, so not so much green as we all thought. The low-mercury ones don't last as long and cost a lot more. Guess I'll stick with my incandescents and hope that LED bulbs come down by the time I have to replace the CFLs I've already got. Still, CFLs are on the right track: Their cost is more than offset by their long lives and reduced energy consumption.
It's fine if you want to sell green products, and fine if you want to sell them at a huge mark-up to people who want to feel better about themselves. If you want to sell green products and save the world however, you've got to make those products both environmentally green and put more "green" in my wallet.
- Fred
April 22, 2009
Lots of people are worried about the state of our economy locally, nationally and throughout the world. This is with all certainly the most difficult economic period in 30 years, and it seems that every talking head is predicting it's going to last another six to nine months, maybe longer.
According to News Australia, some of the most respected companies were started during recessions. Disney and Microsoft, Burger King and IHOP, FedEx and Hewlett Packard, even CNN and MTV were started during recessions. You may even notice that registering and licensing is easier.
These are good points and can help you as you seek to start your business, but there are some good reasons why world-class companies are started during recessions.
Probably one of the biggest reasons that recessions breed better companies, though, is because of the difficulty in making them work out. Rather than just being a better time to start, the recession itself might just be the crucible that forges a better, stronger company. The lean months and years build a culture of saving, innovation and perseverence that companies started during "boom" years (like the mid- to late-1990s) simply don't have.
Another reason is likely the fact that, at this point, Venture Capitalists and Angels don't have the massed resources they do during the booms. This forces them to choose better business ideas by seasoned entrepreneurs.
Talent is another issue. With so many unemployed, it's likely you'll have an easier time finding top talent that you might not have been able to find at another time.
None of this should disuade you from trying to start your business. The fact is, any time is a "good" time to start a business, recession or boom. Businesses are built by people, and it is the people working for your company who will create your company culture and your business practices. Success persevering through a recession or competing in a boom market will be determined by the people, not the economy.
Persevere, and good luck!
- Fred
April 11, 2009
It occurred to me
It occured to me that some of you might wonder just where I get off starting a website for entrepreneurs? Just who am I that I'd put myself out on the 'net like this and expect you to take my advice? That's a lot of gumption, isn't it?
The truth is, I haven't made that much of a name for myself. Dad (with the same name) has, mostly as an educator and writer, but also in the world of entrepreneurship with his award-winning students, many of whom go on to start their businesses.
"But that's your DAD!!!" you say. Okay, sure, that's dad, and I've no intentions of riding his coattails. I think mine speak for me just fine.
I have experienced both the good and the bad of entrepreneurship, success and failure. In 2007, I helped co-found Green Dragon Pest Solutions (at the time, Mullis Enterprises). My team won the 2007 New Venture Championship at the University of Oregon, the Northwest Venture Challenge at Boise State, and placed at the top business plan competition, the University of Texas' Moot Corp. Later that year, Jay Mullis, the team leader, put the team on top at the Fortune Small Business Competition. GDPS is now operating in Macon, Ga.
Last year, I co-founded Shock Markets. This one failed, mostly because my partners and I didn't have the know-how to build a retail website. Even though I build web space, I don't know the ins and outs of the very competitive world of Web Retail. I pretty much made every mistake possible on that site, and yes, the mistakes were very much mine. Strangely, because we still own the site and because I'm no longer wed to my original vision, this one could be revived at some point.
So, that's not much detail, but I hope it gives you some idea that maybe, just maybe, I'm actually qualified to be managing this site.
- Fred
April 8, 2009
SBA Incentives A Positive Step
In an effort to get small business hiring again, the Small Business Administration is now offering loan guarantees of up to 90%. While I am normally opposed to the idea of government providing assistance to business, since small businesses are the most likely to be hurt by new tax rates, this strikes me as a positive step. In addition, it opens up the credit market to businesses that might otherwise be considered "too risky" by traditional lenders.
The Small Business Administration is a great resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Their website is available at SBA.gov.
Today at work I was discussing my site with a co-worker. I talked to this person about their spouse's business, which while successful has been also been affected by the economic downturn. My co-worker talked about how the company website really wasn't what they wanted, and how it was very expensive to get someone to build it for you, on the order of $1,000 - $2,000!
Clearly, I should have just continued studying web-authoring instead of going to college.
My co-worker discussed how what they really needed was an attractive, simple site that introduced the firm, talked about its offerings, perhaps some additional information, and a contact page. Unfortunately, that's not really worth $1,200. They could of course invest a few dollars in Front Page or Dreamweaver or use the clunky web-based home page builder provided by their hosting service, but it's good business practice to focus on what you do well and outsource other things. The problem is, outsourcing simply isn't financially practical.
This is where networking can come in handy. As a friend and co-worker, I have of course offered to help for a much-reduced fee (after all, as you can see from this site, my programming skills are rather limited). I also told my friend about a web design company in Athens (GA) that might be more appropriate (or not, I don't know). In any event, my associate now has some options.
Having a web presence is important for almost every business. I have personally avoided doing business with companies that don't have websites because a) I don't like calling strangers on the phone, even stores, and b) it saves you and your customer time, since your customer already knows something about you when they call/e-mail/walk in the door. Obtaining a domain is inexpensive (Register4Less will do it and provide 5MB of hosting space for $14.95 a year). You can create a page in Microsoft word, save it as HTML, and usually upload the files using your hosting service's web portal. The options are there, and with a small amount of effort you can at least have some basic information out there for people to see.
And if you really need some help, e-mail me and maybe I can give you some pointers or even build a basic site for you.
- Fred
April 5, 2009
There's always room for improvement.
A little free time, and you never know what you might do with it. This site is so much more than I ever intended it to be. That's what I get for starting a website without a real plan. At least my only investment is my time and $15 at Register4Less.
No, it would appear that I am not above a plug.
I'm hoping I can find a way to add a forum to this site, so that the few visitors I have right now might be able to collaborate, give each other advice, whatever. I think websites are fine and games are fun but communities are the future of online business.
I hope you all enjoy what I've been doing and will continue to do. Enjoy.
- Fred
April 3, 2009
One day later,
and I have decided to add a few things. First, entrepreneurship resources have expanded to include "suggested readings." These are books that have been instrumental and beneficial to me in my business education and during my career. As I read more and find places to purchase others, I'll add those as well.
Second, I'm currently working on an "Entrepreneurship Basics" section. It's currently "under construction" until I have a section completed. This will have some basic information about starting a business, writing a business plan, finding capital (that is, money!) and more.
I've also added a few games to the site. Sometimes, you just have to unwind, and taking a few minutes to get a load off can clear your head. Just don't allow yourself to get sucked in (as I did with the bridge building game!). Most of these games are either business simulation or brain-teaser types, and I'll do my best to keep it that way.
- Fred
April 2, 2009 - Introductions
A few days ago,
I started Fred's News as a news aggregator site. I hadn't decided what kind of news I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to be a news aggregator. I knew this lack of focus would be dangerous to building a site, and that updating it three times a day with new news stories was going to take up most of my free time.
I already work a full time job, and the unfocused news aggregation wasn't going to be anywhere near as effective as, say, Google News or something like that. I simply couldn't put in the hours to have an unfocused website. Even though I got a few hits, I know that people looked... And left. No return visits. Just click-on, and click-off. Not gonna' work.
I wracked my brain, trying to think of a subject where I could aggregate news on a time scale that would work for my already hectic life, yet be useful to others and generate repeat visits. I wanted to build a business, dammit, and this wasn't going to work!
That's it! I wanted to build a business. So do a lot of people, and they would be interested in news about Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, and general business. They would want to find resources about entrepreneurship, how to start a business, how to find funding. And let's face it, most of the time when you start punching stuff into Google, you get a couple of relevant resources, and a whole lot of Search Engine-Optimized sites that are totally not what you're looking for.
Sure, I'm going to see competition from other sites, but if I do my job, keep it updated a several times a week, provide good resources, and have a little bit of luck, I should be able to build something that people find valuable!
If you've read this far, you're interested. If this is the last time you're here, that's fine, but if you come back, thank you, and I'll try to improve this site over the coming weeks and months to make it something you'll really enjoy!
Thanks again!
- Fred
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